Oncore by Clare Smyth set to open at Crown Sydney in July

After a series of COVID-related delays, Crown Sydney has announced Oncore by Clare Smyth will welcome its first diners in early July.

The 26th floor fine-diner is arguably the most anticipated Australian restaurant launch this year. It will join other high-profile restaurants attracting crowds since January, such as Woodcut, a'Mare and glitzy sushi temple Nobu.

Smyth, a former protege of British chef Gordon Ramsay, was awarded three Michelin stars in January for her Core restaurant in Notting Hill London, becoming the first woman in the UK to achieve the accolade.

Oncore is the Northern Irish chef's second venue where she will be in complete control and her first outside London. In a statement provided by Crown, Smyth says she plans to give Oncore an Australian twist to the experience offered at her UK fine-diner.

Signature Core dishes will star on the Sydney menu, including "Potato and Roe", a slow-cooked Charlotte-variety spud served with beurre blanc and crowned with herring roe and smoked trout. The Oncore version of the dish is set to use potatoes grown by fourth-generation farmers in the Southern Highlands.

A new creation, "Beef and Oyster", is inspired by Victorian-era stout pies and will star Sapphire Coast bivalves and fullblood wagyu sourced from New England, the Riverina and Hunter Valley.

The Oncore cellar promises plenty of suitable wine matches for the rich dish too, with 800 releases to choose from and a focus on bottles from Bordeaux, Burgundy and Australia.

Guests can choose to sit at a 40-seat bar with views, in a 68-seater dining room, or at a large chef's table directly in front of the open kitchen.

British design firm Fabled Studio is responsible for the Barangaroo restaurant's ultra-luxe fit-out.

After a two-week quarantine, Smyth will be on deck for Oncore's launch. New Zealand-born Core head chef Alan Stuart will helm the kitchen when Smyth is on the pans in London.

"I named my first restaurant Core as it is from the heart, a seed of something new, and has strong ties to nature," says Smyth.

"As the new restaurant will build upon the success of Core, it seems fitting to call it Oncore … a play on the word 'encore', meaning a follow-on performance demanded by the audience."